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Category: News
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New course focuses on sustainable HVAC
AIRAH has released a new accredited course that delves into sustainable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and operations. Created with the support of the ARBS Foundation, the Professional Diploma in Sustainable HVAC Design and Operation is a modular online program that offers an advanced level of professional development for HVAC&R and building services […]
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Boom beckons for NSW Renewable Energy Zone
Australia’s largest Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has received more than 80 registrations of interest from potential renewable energy projects. The projects have the potential to produce an astonishing 34 gigawatts (GW) of energy for the REZ, which is located in New England in north-western NSW. NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean says the response demonstrates investor […]
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Australian authorities seize refrigeration equipment worth more than $200,000
A joint operation by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) has led to the seizure of more than $200,000 worth of refrigeration equipment imported without a licence. ABF officers seized 100 packages in Melbourne in May 2021 after a tip-off that the Victorian-based importer did not […]
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ASBEC applauds energy-efficiency ‘step change’ in NCC 2022
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has welcomed the release of the NCC 2022 public consultation draft as an important step change towards more healthy and comfortable homes for Australian families. ASBEC notes that minimum energy efficiency standards for housing haven’t shifted substantially for more than a decade. The proposed update is to ensure […]
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Ventilation as important as vaccination say experts
As Australia ponders the challenge of reopening with COVID-19 still present in our communities, the discourse from government has focused on vaccination targets. But increasingly, the public is demanding a more thorough response to the pandemic, incorporating other critical measures. Over the past weeks, one measure in particular has become front-page news: ventilation. “Vaccination is […]
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CFC ban helped avoid scorched earth scenario
A new study from Lancaster University in the UK has revealed that continued deterioration of the Earth’s ozone layer could have had catastrophic effects on our planet, exacerbating global warming and impacting all plants and animals. The work also reinforces the importance and success of the Montreal Protocol, which phased out ozone-destroying CFCs with the […]
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Reflective roads paving the way to cooler cities
Researchers in MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub have been modelling lighter-coloured and more reflective roads in a bid to lower air temperatures. Dark asphalt is known to raise the surrounding air temperature. Approximately 40 per cent of urban areas are paved, and by absorbing and reflecting heat it can increase the urban heat island effect. The researchers believe […]
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Empowering women in STEM to shine as role models
An initiative aimed at raising the confidence of women working in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields will soon be available for Australians. Known as STEMazing, the program ran its (northern) spring 2021 program as a pilot initiative. “The aim of the STEMazing program is to empower women in STEM to shine as […]
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A.G. Coombs shares suite of COVID-19 resources
Building services specialist A. G. Coombs has created a new web page answering commonly asked questions about COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, A.G. Coombs has been responding to requests from building owners and managers about restricting the spread of COVID-19 with the help of building services, especially HVAC systems. Over that time, the […]
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Exposing hidden emissions in embodied carbon
A new report warns that embodied carbon could become a primary source of built environment emissions unless Australia acts now. Embodied Carbon & Embodied Energy in Australia’s Buildings was developed by the GBCA and thinkstep-anz with support from the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. It says that without action, embodied carbon […]
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R U OK? launches Tradies Tools to Talk
R U OK? has released a resource called “Tradies Tools to Talk”, to help people understand when tradespeople might be struggling. The initiative has been launched ahead of R U OK? Day 2021, on September 9. Trades workers and technicians make up more than 13 per cent of the Australian workforce, with men filling 84 […]
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ARC digs deep to promote refrigerant safety in mines
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has developed a booklet and wall chart highlighting the benefits of preventative maintenance and leak detection for mobile air conditioning in the mining sector. “Regular servicing, maintenance and repairs to mobile air conditioning systems are critical in ensuring minimum downtime of mine site vehicles and optimisation of air conditioning performance […]
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Climate report a call to action for engineers
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its latest in a series of assessment reports on the state of the planet’s climate. The report concluded that the world cannot avoid some of the devastating impacts of climate change. These are inevitable. Yet it also said there is still a narrow window to keep […]
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Focus on fire safety in new DAs
AIRAH is releasing two Design Application (DA) manuals that focus on fire, smoke, and (smoke exhaust) air dampers within the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. The DA manuals are titled DA05 Guide to Fire and Smoke Control in Buildings using AS 1668 Part 1, and DA06 Guide to Fire, Smoke and Air Dampers […]
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Shape-memory alloy could replace HFCs
A small company in Ireland has developed a new type of air conditioning system that could negate the need for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Researchers at Exergyn, based in Dublin, worked in secret collaboration with another company – believed to be Carrier – for two years on the project. The system uses a shape-memory alloy (SMA) called […]
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Improving refrigerant recovery from split systems
A new report from Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) has highlighted the concerning volume of refrigerant lost when split systems reach end of life in Australia. It estimates that each year, hundreds of tonnes of refrigerant are not being reclaimed. Factoring in the global warming potential of the gases, this could equate to more than a […]
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Victoria rolling out heating upgrades to 250,000 homes
The Victorian government has initiated the next major stage of its program to help low-income households replace old heaters with energy-efficient reverse-cycle systems. The Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program will help 250,000 low-income and vulnerable households improve their thermal comfort by offering rebates to upgrade gas, electric and wood heaters with energy-efficient reverse-cycle split […]
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Gradient CEO reveals details of new AC
In recent years, especially in Australia, split systems have become the default appliance for home air conditioning, displacing the once ubiquitous “window rattlers”. Now, US company Gradient has reinvented the classic design and is offering a sleeker and more sustainable solution. Gradient hopes its new system – created by thermal scientists, engineers and executives from […]
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When refrigeration meets quantum physics
An international team of researchers has created a new cooling concept by combining thermodynamics with quantum theory. The team – consisting of researchers from TU Wien, in collaboration with FU Berlin, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the University of Lisbon – have discovered quantum effects can be used to cool a cloud of ultra-cold […]
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Australia’s first zero emissions leisure and aquatic centre announced
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has allocated up to $1.53 million in funding for Brimbank City Council’s mooted zero emissions indoor leisure and aquatic centre. To be located in Melbourne’s west and making use of an $8.1 million integrated energy system, the facility will be an Australian first. The aquatic centre is part of […]